Writer: Derek Santos Olson
Director: Michael Waxman
Originally Aired: 06/25/2010
Grade: A-
I realize it’s significant that Luke blew through three weeks worth of pain meds in a week and then obtained more through shady means, but I’m still in total denial that Luke’s going to get addicted to the hillbilly heroin. Between seeing the injury itself, seeing the pain he was in at practice, and seeing the pounding he took in that game, my focus was more on the fact that the pain meds allowed him to take a beating that his body was in no shape to handle. I hope he hasn’t permanently injured himself, because I can certainly see that leading to drug dependency. I have family members who have been down that road, and it ruined their lives, so I’m not particularly enthusiastic about seeing this sweet, honest, hard-working, upstanding fictional kid turning into a cranky pill-popper.
I’m also struggling to understand the history between Jess and Vince. There are several conversations that back up the idea that they’ve dated before: Vince’s comment a few episodes ago about Jess pretending she doesn’t think about him; her dad’s reaction to Vince patronizing his BBQ shack; even Vince’s mom’s insistence that Jess come to dinner came off like she missed their breakup in her junkie haze. Jess also told Vince in “A Sort of Homecoming” that she knows he treats girls as expendable objects, which also seems to back up the idea that they’ve dated, but his response that he can only treat girls how they allow themselves to be treated doesn’t make much sense to me in that context. I know boys are dumb, but that’s basically saying, “Well then you should have let me treat you like crap, dummy.”
My guess is that he liked her as they were growing up together, she wouldn’t give him the time of day, but she finally caved and went on a couple of dates with him. Then Jess either saw him out with another girl, or someone shared a nasty story with her about one of Vince's exes or past hookups. She briefly gave him a chance, and that was that. Until we find out otherwise, that’s my theory. I think Jess has chemistry with both Vince and Landry, so I’m a bit conflicted, but she might actually have more in common with Landry, from what I’ve seen. She and Vince may share similar backgrounds, but I see her and Landry having more to say to each other.
Vince’s mom broke my heart again. Her rambling at dinner wasn’t so much self-absorbed as desperate, because she really wanted to impress Jess. I’m unclear on whether her shaky hands were due to withdrawals or anxiety, but it was a nice touch either way, and I like the ambiguity.
I really wish Becky would stop kissing Tim (and see the cuteness that is Luke Cafferty, while she’s at it), but I was unexpectedly charmed by her acting as chauffer and toilet-fixing assistant and life coach to Tim. It came off as more sweet than pathetic, because she was returning the support he’s given her over the past couple of months.
I already know that bad things happen when the Riggins brothers dabble in crime, so I’m not looking forward to the payoff on that storyline. Does Tim really think he’s going to be able to fork over $37,000, with no discernible employment other than working at an auto-body shop, and not raise any suspicions? He does, doesn’t he?
Other Stuff
-I’m glad that baby Gracie isn’t a source of conflict on the show. There was some friction with Julie resenting her in the early going, but now she’s just sort of… there, doing her weird baby thing, and no one’s making a big deal about her, ever.
-Calvin’s attitude toward Vince’s new good boy routine did nothing to diminish my suspicion that he narced on Vince about having a gun, but he did get pretty into cheering Vince on at the game.
-Aimee Teegarden was wonderful in Julie’s college interview. All that babbling about Capote was clearly phony and forced, but when she started to talk about Dillon, she perked up and sincerely believed in what she was saying.
Quotes
Landry: “Actually, the date was rescheduled because of conflicts, and that might be a good thing because Thursday is more of, like a… sexual night anyways.”
Devin: “So we’re just gonna go through the whole psychoanalytic breakdown…?”
Landry: “By 7 PM on Thursday, your brain has basically clicked in that it’s pretty much the weekend. But Wednesday is closer to Monday, and no one’s getting busy on Monday.”
Devin: “Get busy?”
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